Out Of Left Field
by D.Fantum
Summary: Kate sighed and put her head in her hands at the thought of leaving him. The one man she loved with her entire being. She knew he was her one and done the moment she met him. Of course she denied it for four years. Deep down, though she knew. She just- *ring* Complete, for now.
1. Chapter 1

Out of Left Field

**Author's note: Don't own Castle, or any of the characters. **

**Happy Castle Monday! The day we have all anticipated and feared has arrived. Marlow said the finale contained something "Out of left field" in it. This is MY version of what that could mean. **

Kate Beckett sat at her desk, waiting. They had caught their suspect and the boys were taking his confession. Her job was through, for now. Now, she had to think about a decision she could be faced with.

One one hand, this job she may be offered is a once in a lifetime chance. Her dream was always to work in Washington D.C. Not like this however, but it would take her there, nonetheless. On the other hand, she has the job she is so very good at at the NYPD. has her friends, and Castle beside her. Castle... that's a whole different story. Castle wouldn't be in D.C. Could she leave him?

Kate sighed and put her head in her hands at the thought of leaving him. The one man she loved with her entire being. She knew he was her one and done the moment she met him. Of course she denied it for four years. Deep down, though she knew. She just- _*ring*_

She grabbed her phone, expecting it to be Ryan or Espo, or maybe even Rick. No. It was THE number, the one she had been dreading and anticipating at the same time. This was it. Decision time. She took a deep breath and answered.  
"Beckett. Yes sir. What? No, I understand. Thank you for the opportunity. Yes, I will. Goodbye." A tear fell from her face. She no longer had to make a decision. It had been made for her. On weak legs, she got up and approached the interrogation room.

Epso and Ryan were just coming out of the room when she walked up. Detective Esposito nodded to her. "He confessed. They're already taking him to Central booking." Beckett nodded back to him.

"Hey, you okay Beckett?" Kevin looked at her, his eyes showing a medium of concern for his boss, and friend.

"Yeah, I, uh, I have something to tell you guys. I just need to tell someone else first." Kate dialed the one number she knew from heart. She had to tell HIM.

"Castle." Rick sat in the darkened office in his loft. Dark, it was him now. The light-hearted side of him had been shuttered away...for now.

"Rick, we need to talk." Kate sighed over the phone.

"I know we do. You comin' here, or should I go to your place?" Secretly, he hoped she said neither. This conversation called for a neutral spot.

"Neither. I think we should go to 'our place'" Both drew a sigh of relief, unheard by the other.

Rick sat on the swing he sat on two years before. It was after Kate resurfaced after her shooting three months before that he last sat here, he realized. Most of their serious talks of late had happened at either his or her apartment.' What is she gonna tell me?' he thought. 'Is she leaving, or staying'

He heard a noise, and looked up to see the woman he still loved. Hated right now, but yes, he was still very much in love with her. In his mind she was the only woman he could see spending the rest of his life with. HIS one and done. "Hey." Although it was tough, he fought the urge to jump up and take her in his arms. He really needed to hear her decision for himself.

Kate sat on the swing next to him, facing him. "Rick, I'm sorry for how this all came down. I know you must hate me right now." She wiped a tear from her eyes and looked at him. his blue eyes were a shade she had never seen. She saw the pain etched in them so deeply. "I, uh. I didn't get the job."

Rick looked at her, dumbfounded. "What? But I thought you..."

She stopped him with a shake of her head. "While I was there, they gave me a physical exam as a part of the interview. I failed the physical."

Again, Rick sat, looking at her in disbelief. "But how, you're in the best shape of anyone I know? Are there standards that high?"

"Rick...they found a lump. I have breast cancer."

**So, that's MY take on the bombshell ending. Good, bad? Let me know.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

So, thanks to the reviews, I am continuing this one. On a personal note, one of the causes I support IS breast cancer research. My mentor's mom was diagnosed several years ago with it. She is still with us, thankfully. I have had the pleasure  
of volunteering my time to both working at AND walking the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure since then. I am dedicating this to the brave women who have fought this terrible disease, and survived. And it is in memory to those who, sadly, did not.

**Previously: **

**Kate sat on the swing next to him, facing him. "Rick, I'm sorry for how this all came down. I know you must hate me right now." She wiped a tear from her eyes and looked at him. his blue eyes were a shade she had never seen. She saw the pain etched in them so deeply. "I, uh. I didn't get the job." **

**Rick looked at her, dumbfounded. "What? But I thought you..."**

**She stopped him with a shake of her head. "While I was there, they gave me a physical exam as a part of the interview. I failed the physical." **

**Again, Rick sat, looking at her in disbelief. "But how, you're in the best shape of anyone I know? Are their standards that high?" **

**"Rick...they found a lump. I have breast cancer." **

"Kate? No." Castle sat, dumbfounded at her last words. "This can't be happening. You have to..." He couldn't continue that thought. This couldn't be happening, not to her... not to THEM.

"Castle, it's... it is. Before I came here I did a self exam. I found the lump. It wasn't there a few months ago." Kate sobbed softly.

Rick couldn't take it anymore. He HAD to hold her. He needed to show he was still there for her, now more than ever. Slowly, he stood up and knelt in front of her. He slid his arms around her, pulling her to him, letting her feel his love for her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm here. Always, Kate. I love you and we'll get through this, together."

(Keeping with tradition as is on "Castle", a small time jump)

A week later, Kate had an appointment with a doctor. She and Rick decided that she would seek treatment from a doctor not hers, not his. They sat in the waiting room of an oncologist that her former therapist, Dr. Burke, knew professionally and recommended highly. He had counseled several of her patients over the years, to help them come to grips with their disease. Kate also began to seek advice from him again, as well. He had helped her through a very difficult time with her shooting, and everything that stemmed from it. She knew he would be a great asset, in addition to the love and support of Rick, his family, her Dad, Lanie and the boys. She had also told Gates about her illness. She had been surprised when the older woman hugged her, tears blossoming in her dark eyes. Kate knew Gates liked her as a detective, but now she felt closer to her as another woman, a sister, almost.

Kate and Rick sat in the waiting room, both nervously gripping each others' hands, each hoping that she would be okay. "Rick, thank you... for being here, still. Even after all the things I put you through. All the running I did, from you...from US."

He squeezed her hand gently. "Always, Kate. I just couldn't let you face this..."

"Beckett?" The nurse called her name out quietly, interrupting Rick's statement. "The doctor will see you now. Would you like him with you?" She said, pointing at Rick.

"Yes." They stood as one, still holding onto each other, as if both their lives depended on it.

"Good afternoon, Miss Beckett, Mr. Castle. I'm Doctor Kelly." She waved them to two chairs in front of her desk. "Please, sit. Kate, I have been looking at your chart. You're a detective with the NYPD? I see you are in amazing physical shape, I also see you had a physical recently."

Kate looked at Rick who nodded. "Yes, I had an interview with the Attorney General's office for a position in D.C. One of the parts of the interview was a fairly rigorous exam. That's when I got word of the cancer."

"Possible, Kate. Possible cancer. Lumps don't always mean cancer. I'd like to do a biopsy just to be sure. If it is cancer, then we'll decide on a course of treatments, depending on the type and severity of it. Have you, or your partner been doing self-exams?"

Rick blushed a little, causing Kate to giggle slightly. "Um, yes, I do one every month. And Rick, well, he..." She laughed a bit louder now. "Sorry."

Dr. Kelly shook her head. "No, laughter is a good thing. It shows that you have a good attitude about the situation. That in itself is a key factor in surviving. It shows that you won't give up. Another one is sitting next to you. A good support group is also important."

Rick beams a little at this. "Well, she definitely does have the support. Her Dad and I, my mother and daughter, and the people we work with at her precinct are all behind her 100%."

"Good. Now let's go in and I'll do the biopsy. It will take a few days for the results to come back. Then we can decide on how to best fight this, if it is indeed cancer." She showed them into another room, with an examining table. "Kate, change into a gown, and I will be in in a few moments to do the test. Would you like Mr. Castle to wait outside?"

Kate shook her head. "No. I think I'd like him in here with me."

Rick sat in a chair and watched Kate as she changed from her clothing into the hospital gown. He took her clothes and folded them neatly, placing them on a sall table next to him. "Kate. You okay?"

"Yeah, just nervous, I guess. I'm just glad you're here with me." She leaned over and kissed him gently.

"Always, Kate."

The door opened, and Dr. Kelly came in, with a needle and a bag with a container inside. "Okay, Kate, I'm going to need you to lie down on your back and pull the gown over your right breast. I'm giving you a local anesthetic, so you may feel a slight prick." She gave her a shot and tossed the needle into the sharps container on the wall. "Give it a couple of minutes, and I'll do the biopsy." She began to fill out some papers that were with the bag. A few minutes later she took a larger needle out and looked at the couple. Rick, needless to say was a little green. "Mr. Castle, you can look away if you need to. Just going to feel around for the lump, so I can get the syringe in position." She found the lump, and gently pushed the needle in. After it was where she wanted it, she drew the plunger out and gently took the needle out of Kate, handing her a small gauze pad. "There. How hold this gauze on it, so if it bleeds a little it won't get anywhere."

She inserted the needle into the glass container and pushed the plunger in, depositing the sample into it. "Okay, that's it for today. I'll get this sample to our lab, and as soon as the results are in, I will call you to set up an appointment, if necessary."

Kate got dressed and she and Rick walked out, both anxious to know what the immediate future held for them.

**Fortunately, I have never had to have a biopsy. I have done a little research into the process, and had talked with people at one of the Komen events in the past about things before, though. **  
**NOW, comes the hard part... cancer or not?... stay tuned dear readers. And yes, I do KNOW what the answer is... just not... yet. Muhahaha**


End file.
